U Haul …. Well Maybe U Haul
I have been a reader of these opinion pages for a long time and can certainly sympathize with those who have had problems with U-Haul.
I finally reached a point where I needed to put in my own 2 cents on their poor customer service … Now that it has reached a new low.
I used to be a long time customer of U-haul by renting their trailers. I would rent trailers from U-Haul because of some measure of convenience. Mainly because I would not have to have a trailer sitting in my driveway.
I learned a long time ago never, never, never, never, not once, don’t even think about it, of using U-Haul’s “reservation” center. I would go to my local corporate (not someone who does it for a sideline) U-Haul dealer about a week before I needed the trailer. They gave me a promised time on that date to pick up the trailer. I would go on that day and pick up the trailer.
One time, I made a mistake when making the reservation and had looked at the wrong year on my checkbook calendar. Even though it was my mistake, the store did get me trailer. (Many thanks to that store manager, though I do not know whether or not he is still with U-Haul)
This time, I go to rent a trailer for a long term local rental a week before I needed it.
The U-haul representative takes the reservation, but cautions me that he doesn’t have any, but for this long term rental he will get me one.
He can’t give me a time for the pickup. He says that I will be called the day before and told when and where I can pick up the trailer. Hopefully, he tells me, I will be able to pick it up at his store, but it is possible that I will have to go to another location to pick it up and that all that can be promised is that I will be able to pick it up that day but not necessarily in the morning.
Well, Ok, I do need a trailer.
Well, here comes the kicker in the deal … because I am making a local rental for more than 24 hours, I will have to call the day before I return the trailer in order to find out to which location I am supposed to return the trailer.
Do what now??????????
Its your world boss (to quote from the Shawshank Redemption and not any personnel experience).
So let me get this straight on U-Haul’s customer service:
1) I reserve a trailer.
2) You can’t tell me as to where I am going to go pick it up.
3) You can’t tell me as to when I am going to pick it up.
4) You can’t tell me as to where I am going go to return it.
5) And, Oh by the way, if your don’t call us 24 hours in advance of your rental to cancel it, we are going to charge you a $75 cancellation fee. (Well OK, it is a condition of the contract and I can live with that.)
Let’s see, I sign a contract with someone who is not making any commitments beyond possibly, maybe and might.
No, thank you very much.
I am now shopping for a trailer. At least I will know when and where I can pick it up; and, when and where I will return it.
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U-Haul Anecdotes
One time I helped my younger brother move to Southern California from Texas a number of years ago. We rented a U-Haul (Of course, this is an opinion board about U-Haul). The U-Haul broke down in New Mexico. When we called the U-Haul assistance number and gave them our location, the person said that we could not take the U-Haul truck out of the country. It took a while, but we were able to convince her that New Mexico became a state about 1917.
This truck was pretty good for U-Haul standards. It turned out that there was a teeny tiny little problem with the odometer and speedometer.
We were driving along I-10 in NM and AZ at an indicated 70 mph. While not bad, I did have to concentrate on controlling the truck. Other traffic is flyyyyyyyyyyying past us. My comment to my brother was, people sure do drive fast out here, they gotta be doing at least 90 to 95 mph.
Well…. It turns out that the speedometer was just a little off. We checked it against the mile marker signs and it turns out that at an indicated 70 mph, we were actually going (get ready for this) 52 mph!!!!
No wonder people where flying by us and that it seemed to take forever to get to our destination.
Tags: trailers
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